31 Democrats Who Broke Ranks To Vote For The Inquiry

Democrats' Bid To Limit Probe Fails

WASHINGTON — In a vote of low drama and high partisanship, the House of Representatives on Thursday triggered a formal inquiry to determine whether President Clinton should be impeached for allegedly lying and obstructing justice over his Oval Office affair with Monica Lewinsky.

The 258-176 vote, with Republicans joined by 31 Democrats, set loose the third impeachment investigation of a president in American history and could lead to heated hearings this year putting some of the key players, including possibly Clinton, Lewinsky and Linda Tripp, on the witness stand of Congress.

The gravity of the moment, setting in motion the potential overturning of the 1996 election, was lost in an often angry, often raucous three-hour sparring match between Republicans, who swore the inquiry was about lying and obstruction of justice unworthy of a president, and Democrats, who said it all was about sex unworthy of impeachment.

Republicans insisted upon an open-ended resolution with no limitation on scope or time. Democrats suspect that Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr may produce new charges against Clinton and that GOP leaders will seek to expand the inquiry to include campaign-finance issues.

For the immediate future, Clinton's presidency rests in the hands of the House Judiciary Committee, a highly partisan 37-member panel headed by Rep. Henry Hyde, the white-haired Illinois Republican who says he hopes to finish the inquiry by New Year's Day.

But Clinton's fate also rests in the hands of an American electorate that still supports him despite his admitted infidelities. Responding to the vote Thursday, the president said the outcome ultimately will depend mainly on the American people.

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), the committee's ranking Democrat, presaged a highly partisan inquiry. He said he was eager to subpoena Starr, whom he called "this great pornographer/prosecutor," to question him about his investigation. The GOP in all likelihood will fight any testimony by Starr, Republicans said.

Despite Hyde's pledge to try to finish the investigation by year's end, Democrats predicted it will become a "fishing expedition" that could last the remainder of Clinton's presidency. Rep. David Bonior (D-Mich) said the Republican strategy is to "drag this thing out, week after week, month after month and year after year."

Democrats on the panel said they wanted the chance to cross-examine Starr's key witnesses, including Lewinsky and Tripp, while Republicans said that much of the evidence is in and hearings need not repeat the independent counsel's work. GOP Judiciary Committee members said they would like to see Clinton and the White House stipulate many of the facts in Starr's report.

But Rep. Martin Meehan (D-Mass.) said that one of the problems with stipulating facts is that the testimony of Clinton and Lewinsky is in basic conflict over the nature of their relationship.

The committee's job is to determine whether to draft articles of impeachment against Clinton, in effect an indictment for committing "high crimes and misdemeanors" as outlined in the U.S. Constitution. In 1974, former President Richard Nixon resigned when the committee approved articles of impeachment.

Although the impeachment process has gained momentum in the Republican-controlled Congress, the outcome is highly uncertain. Only a majority vote is required to impeach the president in the House, but conviction in the Senate requires a two-thirds vote.

Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.), a former prosecutor who introduced the first impeachment resolution against Clinton 11 months ago, said the vote will hit Clinton as an indictment hits many defendants--"like a shower of cold water." Barr also said that he believes the evidence adds up to a strong case against Clinton.

But Democrats contended that lying about sex does not add up to an impeachable offense and, if Clinton is ousted, it would result in a lowering of the bar for impeachment that would expose future presidents to easier removal from office.

The debate indicated that there is little sentiment in favor of censure or reprimand at this stage, but that could change when the November election is over or if Clinton's poll ratings remain steady.

Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.) said he was dismayed that with so many problems in the world, "we're talking about Monica Lewinsky. God help this nation if we trivialize the Constitution of the United States. While the president betrayed his wife, he did not betray the country."

But Republicans said allegations that Clinton lied under oath, obstructed justice, tampered with witnesses and abused power must be investigated to determine if they are true and worthy of impeachment.

"Even the president of the United States has no right to break the law," said Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.). "The result will be a return to the imperial presidency of the Nixon era."